Drizzle
by Lougara
Summary: Slightly AU, short story based on the beginning of the fifth movie. Giroro knew sharing his tent with Kururu was a bad idea... COMPLETE.


Heavy rain. It was pouring so hard that night, one would think the sky had been ripped wide open with a godly blade. It hailed for hours and throughout the night, people in their homes watched the clouded sky continue to cry upon their city, unending and harsh.

Concerning the Hinata's household, however, after the accidental flooding of the underground base, which belonged to a race of aliens who resembled frogs, who were also often plotting devious plans to take over the world, or perhaps protect it from other aliens who tried to steal their prize, the members of the Keroro Platoon had scattered later in the evening to go about their own business, seeing their headquarters was not in a functional order.

Giroro, the mobile arsenal and the weaponry specialist of the team, wondered for a moment if it was a good thing Dororo had not been included in the day's agenda. Being neglected on purpose from their absent-minded leader, or a form of good fortune was both possible, and the red alien felt that it was more a fortune for their blue childhood friend. The Assassin was better off not getting caught in these wild shenanigans.

At least someone would stay sane with a good head on his shoulders concerning the headaches received from their terrible ends. With the strain and blood pressure Giroro had been dealing with this level of idiocy on a daily basis, the Corporal believed the often-forgotten member of the platoon was having it best. This most recent invasion plan was a complete failure, and its results took the cake. Not only was their headquarters reduced useless, Sergeant Major Kururu had taken over his tent.

It had been redecorated with high-tech equipment, delicate instruments, and heavy labor machines in order to make up for the lack of a proper setting for a signal receiving station. Unlike Kururu's laboratory the tent did not provide much working space for both himself and the Major, so much of Giroro's belongings were forced out and stockpiled at the corner of the Hinata's living room corner, draped with a large sheet to keep it out of sight of possible quests.

The tent was now a temporary work station, and the fact that the Corporal was packed close next to the Sergeant Major did not make things easier to deal with.

The Corporal dumped water from his bucket onto the grass outside the tent, a large blanket over his head to keep himself from absorbing any undesired moisture, and to avoid being soaked by the chilling rain. The sky was roaring and thundering, flashes of light lit the clouded heavens above as if the gods were having a fit of their own. The Corporal didn't care, irritated he returned into his dry tent, mindful not to barge in while Kururu worked in an impressive display of quick handiwork. As tiny as Keronian digits were, rapid fingers tapped across the keyboard as thousands of words appeared on the screen.

Giroro set the bucket near the entrance to contain the dripping water sliding over the entrance of his tent, took off the blanket and hung it on the corner of a tall rectangular box to let it dry. He wanted to avoid getting any of his things or Kururu's equipment wet as much as possible.

The white cat, Ms. Fluffbottom yawned and licked her paws where she laid comfortable on a large cushion, trying to dry herself from the cold weather outside. She had caught a bit of rain before seeking refuge in the tent, and lucky for her Giroro let her in before the storm kicked harder. She had settled on top of Giroro's previous spot. There was a cushion with his gun and rag set aside. She must have moved onto it because it was warmer.

Disregarding that, Kururu must have been deep in focus with the script writing, because his blanket had slipped off his shoulders and crumbled on the floor around him. Without thinking much on the notion, Giroro picked it up and tossed it over the others head, startling Kururu and yanking his attention away from the bright screen. Kururu reached to grab the blanket and pulled it over his shoulders, then sent the Corporal a glance. Giroro had already turned his attention to the cat, petting her head and scratching her between the ears.

Kururu turned his now somewhat divided attention back to the keyboard and began to type more scripts and commands, but not as fast as before.

Save for the loud purring from the cat, the three had been in silence for what felt like hours. Kururu paused from his feverish typing to glance over what he had finished so far, and his mind trekked back to the events of the day. The failed experiment with the water-tank mobile-suit battle system had happened around the afternoon, so they only had a good few hours to fix the house in order to have enough time to set the station on the tent between tasks.

Giroro was not at all pleased to share his private zone, but no one in the Hinata household were willing to let Kururu set his station elsewhere, nor was Keroro giving his red-daruma friend a chance to argue. Kururu seemed more than pleased at the arrangement, which infuriated Giroro even more. Headquarters needed time to drain the water and Kururu needed to set his workstation and backups somewhere, or else he won't even be able to restore anything when the time came for it.

With Dororo and Tamama nowhere in sight, and Keroro sleeping in Fuyuki's bedroom since his dorm had been flooded as well, Kururu and Giroro were forced to sit together until things had been repaired before each could have their privacy again.

The miniature clock on Kururu's screen beeped, announcing that it was past midnight. The Sergeant Major's typing slowed to a halt after that to save and process what he had already written for the day. Once done he stretched his arms over his head and then flexed his muscles, then let his hands shake a bit to rest his weary fingers. Once Kururu could feel his fingertips again he reached onto the keyboard once more continued.

He had been getting signals from the Pacific Ocean, a large and powerful source of energy at that, but he did not have any information to work with, seeing his current station was a shabby-tacky shamble of pieces. He guessed it could not be helped. How would he expect the bumbling Corporal to ready his little tent for a brainstorm at the Major's level? He'd be asking for a miracle if Giroro was even able to get one tenth of the requirements prepared.

Sergeant Major Kururu hid a smile. No need to alarm the other two occupants of his wandering thoughts. He had been far too busy backing up months of hard work he had almost lost due to the explosion. Now that he has time to relax, he set the energy scanner on auto and threw himself back on the floor with his arms outstretched, then let out a low grunt of satisfaction at the sensation of muscles being strung and bones popping back in place, he heaved a sigh as his back pressed against the warm blanket protecting him from the cold floor. He had been hunched up in front of the screen for so long his back was stiff. Without his lab chair, working on his monitor as he had for the past few hours was somewhat a literate pain in the butt.

Despite not being visible under the glasses, Kururu closed his eyes and listened to the rain. It was pouring real hard out there that was for sure. A hint of mirth showed on his face and he glanced at his companion. Giroro was busy wiping water away from some guns that were caught under the rain when they were reorganizing his tent. The Corporal had already sorted the bullets to separate the ruined ones from the ones he could still use.

Kururu, in need of entertainment rolled over to his side and propped his cheek on an open palm, sure to pull the blanket on to stay warm. "Hey, Old man." He looked at his companion with a placid expression and drawled as he spoke loud enough to be heard over the noise of the pouring rain. "Did you ever consider getting a bigger tent? How you'd be satisfied living in such a small, inconvenient space is laughable."

The Corporal snorted and muttered something scathing under his breath while he continued to wipe his weapon, but it went unheard to the Major.

Kururu was already entertained. "The job not paying you well enough? You'd think someone with your rank could afford something bigger."

Always the short tempered man, a vein bulged at the side of his head, Giroro took the bait without a second thought. "Shut up! No one said you had to come in here. You could have set your station anywhere else to fit your needs." The Corporal slammed the gun back into the crate and clutched the rag in a tight fist. Fangs brandished, and an irate fire glint in his eyes. "This tent is a two-man work space, not a mobile laboratory. Consider yourself lucky I even let you in here in the first place."

"Or so I'm told." Kururu knew the Hinata family would not allow him to set his station in their living room.

Hinata Natsumi in exact wanted the yellow alien nowhere near the living room. The last thing she wanted was him bombarding their food with instant curry mixtures or messing with their fridge, food, or furniture when they weren't looking. Not to mention the eerie sensation she kept getting from him was enough to rile her up into wanting to kick him out of the house altogether. Even when he wasn't looking at her, Natsumi could feel his eyes on the back of her neck, and it made her more uncomfortable than Yuri aura. At least the ghost girl was harmless.

Kururu rolled onto his belly and looked at the cranky Corporal with his smile stretched wider. "Since Hinata Natsumi isn't invited here on a daily basis, allowing me to stay in for the night counts for something." At Giroro's flinch, Kururu's flirting leer grew wicked. "I could upgrade the tent to allow compressed space capabilities. You could have a mansion the size of the Nishizawa property in here, all you need to do is ask."

"And who in his right mind would ask _you_ for anything? Knowing you, there would strings attached or something lurking amidst it all." Giroro was irritated. Kururu never failed to get under his skin.

The Corporal would admit to himself, Kururu was not someone he would want to spend any amount of time with unless it was utmost necessary. The Sergeant Major was an excellent invader and very efficient at doing his job, but the fact he was also a creep and a stalker put everyone around him on edge. Kururu did nothing to hide that part about himself, either.

Unfortunately, with the knowledge that Kururu may or may not have an actual _crush_ on Corporal Giroro, infuriated and horrified the red invader in more ways that he'd like to admit. Why on Pekopon would Kururu be attached to him? It made no sense…

"Always so paranoid, Corporal. Kuku… you really need to learn to relax and live a little." Kururu, flat on his belly, tugged on the blanket a little more. "Being cooped up in such a small space isn't helping your health. Too bad nurse Pururu already left. I think someone like you could use a regular check up. That old heart of yours can't handle all this pressure, can it?" With a hand on his cheek and legs brought up, Kururu gave a cheeky smile and looked like a child entertained with his favorite television show. "Or I could just do the check up for you?" he offered, sounding far more comfortable with the suggestion than Giroro was.

Giroro coiled back in his seat in contained horror. "My health is none of your concern, so shut up and keep your hands to yourself." His face a deeper shade of crimson overwhelmed his senses. He looked away and focused on tending to his gallery.

Kururu intended on taking more cheap-shots at the grumpy man, but the cat was glowering and glaring at him in a threatening manner, a strong enough sign that unless he wanted a crisscross of cat-claw marks all over his face, he better let it rest for now. He would often disregard those warning signs and go on with his plans, but the fact that it was still pouring outside was a reason he did not want to get kicked out.

With that decision made for him, Kururu figured he should play nice and behave for now. He rolled onto his back and started picking his nose while inspecting his surroundings.

The tent was quite homey, probably due to how small it was. There were only three people in there, two Keronians and a cat. There was a shipload of weapons and armory supplies alongside heavy duty laboratory equipment, rations and medical supplies retrieved from the flooded base as well. Kururu was the slightest bit astounded such a small tent could handle so much stuff. Its warmth was not uncomfortable, and the fabric of which it was made of allowed proper ventilations without the risk of water getting inside. It probably followed the same mechanism of an igloo. The warmth was compressed inside and shielded them from the harsh chill outside.

As if the sky was listening to his thoughts, the rain hailed harder and the thunderclouds clapped and roared louder, flashes of light could be seen the slightest bit from behind the heavy sheet blocking the entrance. Even Giroro looked at the wind-blown and flapping entrance-drape of his tent. The gust of wind was so hard the zipper came undone a few inches allowing the water to sprinkle onto the floor. With a frown he stared at the top of his tent. The poles were holding up alright from what he could tell, but the creaking of trees could be heard which meant it was a strong wind.

The storm was getting worse, and it was quite clear it will not stop for a few more hours. Just then the tent's top shifted sideways just a little, threatening to tear the makeshift lab out of place if given just a few more minutes. Giroro braced himself when the lights flickered, and even Kururu looked up in surprise to see the tent shuddering with the force of the wind.

The cat made a low frightened yowl and ducked closer to the Corporal, seeking protection and shelter. Giroro gave her head a tender pat and scratch and then pulled her into a hug to calm her down. He held her and listened to the storm. It didn't look like the wind was letting up and the tent kept shaking. With determination in his eyes, Giroro gave the feline a light, comforting squeeze before letting go, put the rag down and then stepped past Kururu to pick up the half-dry blanket, then headed towards the entrance. He should probably look for his rain coat, but it was tossed somewhere in the haphazard and cluttered mess within his little private space, and he didn't want to waste time looking for it.

When the cat meowed in a silent question of where he was going, the Corporal glanced at her with a smile. He reached into a nearby crate and rummaged through in search of something. "I need to make sure the stakes can handle this wind. The last thing I want is for my tent to get torn off." He pulled out of the crate with a flashlight, clicking the switch to make sure it was working. "You might want to make sure your equipment is stable as well, Kururu. With this much water they might end up ruined." Giroro didn't wait for an answer and stepped out of the tent with the flashlight in hand.

Kururu already pushed to his knees to follow. He as well was missing a raincoat so he pulled on the blanket he had and placed it over his head, tied it under his chin so it wont end up flying off, then hurried out to assist Giroro and make sure his things were still intact. Kururu would often slack and let everyone else so all the work, but the equipment he had available were crucial. By damn was he going to let some stupid rain ruin what was worth years of hard work!

Ms. Fluffbottom meowed in complaint at being left behind, yet made no move to follow them outside. There was no way in hell she was going out in that crazy weather! Besides, she was a cat, she knew close to nothing about what they were planning, and she would just end up getting in the way so it was for the best she stayed put. At least inside she could stay on the cushion to keep it nice, dry and warm for Giroro when he came back.

Outside, Giroro inspected the stakes keeping his tent standing, and to his dismay found one was starting to loosen out of place because the dirt had gotten thoroughly soaked. He hurried into the tent to snag a hammer placed on the toolbox near the entrance, sprinkling water onto the floor, then rushed out to pin the stake back in place.

Meanwhile, Kururu had gone around the other side of the tent and inspected his equipment, noting with irritation that some of the plastic and metal casings were pushed out of place. The glue was getting washed off due to the cold water. Shouting over the howling rain, Kururu demanded a screwdriver and a hammer, Giroro hurried into the tent once more, and then returned with the items and an offer to help. Kururu accepted the offer and told the Corporal to hold his machines in place to prevent further leaking. He was tempted to slam Giroro's hand with the hammer, or jab the screwdriver into the palm, but felt that now was not the time for foul play. He could torment the red devil with his shenanigans later, right now his station had priority.

All that work would not have taken more than twenty minutes if it had not been for the horrible storm shoving them around. Giroro felt his teeth chatter and jaw clench, his skin grew cold since the rain was frigid. Still, he continued to slave on. After an hour worth of hard work to ensure everything was in place, Kururu and Giroro scurried back into the tent, shivering and sniffling due to the bone gnawing cold.

Kururu sneezed twice, followed by Giroro who did the same but louder. Once the entrance of the tent was zipped shut to prevent a draft, Giroro felt his body tremble with the change in temperature. The inside of his tent was so toasty, a much welcomed change. Giroro reached into his backpack, pulled a large tissue box along with a pair of nice, dry and warm towels, and offered one to the shivering Kururu. The Sergeant Major hesitated for only a second before accepting the towel. He watched the Corporal plop down next to the cat and dap himself dry.

Kururu remained standing for a few more seconds, before he sat down and spread the towel over his head with a near silent sigh. Head and face covered, he took off his glasses and wiped them clean with the corner of the towel. Giroro thought he could just as easily reach out to peer at Kururu's face, if only to know what the eyes looked like, but then shook himself back to his senses. He disregarded the notion since coming anywhere near Kururu would no doubt end in tears.

The pitter-patter of rain got louder by the minute. Kururu settled in front of his laptop again, glasses back on and the towel still on his head. He wiped his nose with the corner of the towel while getting back into his programmer mindset. His previous scan's results regarding the energy in the Pacific Ocean were in, and he needed to narrow the results even more to pinpoint the source the closest possible.

Giroro snuggled into a warm corner between two crates that the cat had offered, and stretched out his legs while draped under the warmth of the last dry blanket in his possession. He felt drowsy now that everything had settled. Ms. Fluffbottom did not waste time to plop across his lap to keep him warm, her head nudged his belt she snuggled against his cold skin, attempting to keep the cold away. Giroro chuckled and scratched her head and neck as thanks for her open display of affection. The cold weather was pushing him into hibernation mode and he could not suppress a yawn. The task they had pulled against the storm wore him down faster than he suspected.

Kururu, who was sitting a few inches away from his feet, was still droning away on his keyboard seemed to double to the Corporal's sleepy vision. Giroro tried to suppress the louder yawn the second time, but failed. He had yawned so wide it made his jawbone feel like it was about to get dislocated. As soon as the yawn stopped trying to cramp his face muscles, Giroro's sleep clouded vision looked at the unmoving Major sitting across the tent. The pitter-patter of rain was different. The rapid tapping of fingertips over the keyboard was missing. Kururu was looking at him with an unidentified expression, his features were shadowed by reflective glasses, glowing in an eerie manner from the bright monitor screen's reflection.

When Kururu spoke, his tone was hushed and playful. "Need a nap, old man?" Giroro felt a burst of awareness at the thought of falling asleep anywhere near the yellow creep, thus he defiantly picked up his discarded gun and rag and began to rub it clean, never bothering to answer to the other's offer.

Unseen, the Sergeant Major rolled his eyes in mild amusement at the stubborn old war veteran, he shrugged his shoulders and the towel flopped down. "Don't wear yourself out, old timer. As soon as the storm ends the results would give us a clue to a new source of energy we could use, and it would be counterproductive if we went there with you lacking your beauty sleep."

Giroro muttered something under his breath then sneered at the yellow Keronian. "I'll sleep when I well damn feel like it." Though sluggish, he shifted o his seat to sit Indian style. Ms. Fluffbottom took that as an invite to plop into his lap, then stretched across his front to lick his snout in an open display of affectionate.

Kururu chuckled his namesake, infuriating a now embarrassed and more red-faced Corporal. "I think she wants you to get some shut eye, too. Don't be stubborn. The night is still young and an old man like you needs his rest."

"Shut up!" Giroro pointed his gun at the other as he was about to say something more, only to be deterred by the cat coming at his face to kitty-kiss his cheek.

Overwhelmed by the sudden weight of the cat, Giroro toppled backwards and thumped the back of his head on his rolled up and still fastened sleeping bag, which served his current state well as a pillow. The feline decided it was a good setting to convince him to get some sleep. In a swift motion that only an agile cat of her caliber could perform, she twirled around to bite onto the blanket to yank it over his legs and up to his torso. The cat then sat on his stomach to prevent him from trying to remove it.

Giroro tried to push up but she glowered with narrowed eyes, like an angry mother lecturing a naughty child trying to sneak out of bed, giving him the impression that he would be in big trouble if he tried to disobey her. Giroro hesitated as a light fluster warmed his cheeks, then he released an aggravated sigh in defeat and flopped back. He knew better than to make this cat angry. He let his arm drape over his eyes to block out the light.

Satisfied, the mellow feline got comfortable by stepping off his stomach, and then plopping half her body against his side, her head rested on his chest. The supposed devil Corporal moved his hand to scratch her between the ears. He would have forgotten he was not alone if it hadn't been for the clicking of keys on the laptop.

Giroro, blushing even warmer woke up from his droopy state, humiliated to have been showered with affection in front of Kururu. The yellow Keronian in mention chuckled even more, stringing long chortles while the Corporal struggled to make his darling cat quit with the mothering. The Sergeant Major's laughter was making Giroro feel less obliged to rest, and more inclined to beat the living tar out of the other. It was a good few minutes later that Kururu's chortles ended, and Giroro was relieved when the sound of keyboard tapping returned. The yellow agent was distracted with his machine again.

The Corporal's eyes drooped with the returning fog of sleep, absentminded, looking at the pointy top of his tent. The pitter-patter of rain was softer and more calming. Giroro stifled another yawn, and then rubbed an eye while the cat brought herself closer to drape her upper body across his belly, well aware sitting on top of her friend would only make it harder for him to breathe. Her fur warmed the blanket and gave him a more content sensation, luring him deeper into the need for sleep.

Giroro would not have minded the display if Kururu hadn't been watching the whole time. Giroro was also cornered between the cluttered boxes and crates of his tent. The only free space available would bring him closer to Kururu, which he had no interest in attempting. The sound of tapping on keyboard mingled with the rain. Kururu had turned his full attention back to his machine, which meant Giroro was out of Kururu's possible heckling.

The Corporal's breathing became slow and steady, warm and comfortable next to the soft body of his cat companion, eyelids drooping. He slipped into dreamland without his usual ear raking snores.

Kururu, deep into his own little world of thoughts, only stopped working with the script when the battery for his laptop started beeping in warning that it was about to run out. Annoyed, he deciding it was high time he got some shut eye anyway. He plugged in the power cord and then closed the laptop, then kept an eye on the small light to make sure the device shut down properly. Next he listened to the outside world. The rain started to lighten up but he knew it was far from over, and it was bound to kick back up again soon.

The sound of a low grunt and mumble caught his attention, so he turned to his sleeping companion and cat just a few inches away from his reach. With a mischievous grin, Kururu contemplated poking the Corporal's cold and uncovered feet just to annoy him, but he knew attempting that would annoy the cat long before Giroro even woke up.

With nothing better to do and wanting to get warm as well, Kururu pushed the box with his laptop a bit further to the side of the small space. Approaching the Corporal's sleeping form, he saw Giroro's free arm outstretched across the free space besides him, almost an invitation to join him. Kururu, never one to waste the chance of giving the Corporal a hard time flashed a wicked grin and moved closer. Giroro had one arm immobilized and caught under the cat's lower body, so he decided to be devious and used the other arm as a pillow, placing the folded towel he was about to discard as a cushion between himself and the arm.

Ms. Fluffbottom perked her ears and glowered at the space invading offender with a warning mew.

"Easy there, pussycat. I don't want any trouble." he tried to appear friendly.

He knew though he and the feline had not interacted before now, she was very protective of Giroro and would look after him when the dope was daydreaming, distracted, or working elsewhere. The Sergeant Major knew for a fact, thanks to his countless camera-feeds stationed around the house, the cat also rivaled Natsumi over Giroro's affection, and used one of Kururu's inventions to turn herself into a human, even if the Corporal had no clue the cat was in love with him to begin with.

Kururu would admit he had more of a chill and thrill getting under the Corporal's skin than being affectionate towards him; or as affectionate as he could be considering his personality. Still, having yet another peg in the already crookedly-turning love wheel said a lot of things regarding the red soldier's hazardous love life. Giroro was such an awkward little chick-magnet. A human female with a temper just as fierce as his, a female cat with a determined mind as just stubborn, and another soldier of the same gender who gets more kicks out of watching the Corporal scream and squirm than any of the hanky-panky shtick.

Corporal Giroro had his hands full with this ludicrous charade that was for certain. Kururu found it to be a goldmine of fun.

Kururu scooted closer to the free space next to Giroro's sleeping form once the cat had been pacified. He reached over one of the crates overhead to pull out an extra cushion and placed it next to the Corporal, then pulled a little on the loose side of the blanket and tucked himself right against the other. With skin-on-skin, Giroro had Ms. Fluffbottom snuggled into one side and Kururu had the other. The Sergeant Major suppressed a grin of content. Since the cat didn't seem to mind him getting so close and personal, then she may not try to claw his face off for the time being.

Kururu pulled as much as he could of the blanket over his shoulder, earning a warning low hiss from the cat. He was not getting much of the blankets warmth so he scooted closer, mindful not to wake Giroro. He moved Giroro's free arm with care to gain space to rest his head on the Corporal's shoulder, taking the chance to cuddle into the circle of warmth. The red invader's head was tilted towards the cat, and as such would not take note of Kururu invading his personal space with such an intimate motion just yet.

Kururu considered taking off his glasses and putting on a nightshade, but then remembered he did not bring it along from his private quarters, so the glasses will have to stay.

Warm and comfortable next to the man he loves to torture, Kururu let his free arm slide across Giroro's chest close enough to feel the heartbeats. The cat either didn't notice or didn't mind, she had her body snuggled and compact next to the sleeping alien, and was unaffected by Kururu's lurking under the blanket. Giroro's body was amazingly warm, Kururu could not believe how huggable the other felt against his senses, it was like latching onto a miniature furnace.

He knew Giroro would murder him once come morning, and this was sure as hell worth it.

With his other arm tucked between himself and the red frog, and his cheek pressed against the soldier's chest, Kururu found that Giroro smelled like crisp autumn leaves and sweet potatoes, ash and a mild hint of dirt. He smelled like nature, which to someone who had spent most of his time indoors between computer screens, was a rather new and strange scent. Kururu wondered just how long Giroro spent outside for the scent to become so evident. If one smelled of where he spent more of their time at, then he guessed he'd smell of metal and electricity…

Or just curry and rice, whichever came first.

The rain outside got louder and stronger, the tent shook and rattled the slightest bit but did not weaver against the storm, it stood defiant to the raging weather.

Kururu felt much too warm and fuzzy to drift into dreamland. Instead, his fingertips traced over the belt. He wanted to sleep but couldn't, the sensation of Giroro's body heat against his skin thrilled him to the point of making his heart beat faster, despite the fact that neither of them were even doing anything, they were just… resting. Or he did, anyway.

Giroro was fast asleep yet not sowing logs as usual, which had the Major a bit confused. He knew Giroro and Tamama tended to make the most horrible snoring noises when they slept, and Sergeant Keroro tended to grind his teeth, which was just as unnerving as any normal person would deem the noises anything but pleasant. Maddening would be the biggest understatement, in fact.

But to Kururu? He was perceptive, the noises that would otherwise infuriate and make people go raving mad tended to be entertaining to him. It had been like that for him since he was a child, and wearing headphones helped him detect and sort those noises. Others thought it was weird and pointless, but he considered it a gift. Having a special talent for something isn't gone to waste if you know how to make use of it, after all. He guessed it might be a reason why he could not sleep, the only sound surrounding him now was the thunderstorm outside, and it was anything but noisy. It was pacifying, which kept him up and alert even more.

The human race of Pekopon considered the sound of a thunderstorm somewhere between frightening and calming. He found it too quiet to be enough to entertain or annoy him. He didn't care for the rain, and instead focused on the sound of Giroro's heartbeats. Strange how peaceful and calming they were, rhythmic like the pulsating sounds of his machines, yet so much more alive, soft and sweet like a mother's lullaby.

It interested and aggravated him in the same time; the feeling was strange and difficult to put in words.

Kururu always asked himself why he loved aggravating Corporal Giroro so much, and besides the obvious thing of Giroro being very animated and obvious with his reactions, feelings, and pretty much wearing his heart on his sleeve no matter how much he tried to hide it, he guessed that there was just some sort of hidden gift that Giroro was unaware of that attracted him.

Besides being a complete joke, of course.

Though he remembered their first encounter as children very well, when they met at the Grand Star Kururu acknowledges he was attracted to Giroro. It was not until that day when Hinata Natsumi had caught the virus he had developed, under Keroro's request, that Giroro's will to smash right through the power-shield and nearly get himself fried into crisp just to save her, made something in the back of Kururu's mind click. He wanted to push Giroro to the very edge and test his limit, to see how far he is willing to go for a woman who doesn't even consider him anything more than a freeloader, and maybe a friend on some subconscious level. Keroro was the one doing all the housework, and yet because Giroro would risk his butt for her, she would treat him with kindness.

Kururu did not acknowledge his feelings until after the soul diving mission into the depth of Giroro's soul. When Sergeant Keroro asked to disregard Natsumi's memories, Kururu felt it would be very amusing to put himself in her place, but he had not expected Giroro to become abjectly mortified, for their emotions to get confused and switched altogether, nor to feel so giddy over Giroro's affection being directed towards him.

He had been in a good mood for weeks afterwards, and his pleasant mood freaked everyone for just as long. He found it funny he could not stop laughing at how fun it was, even if Giroro was too demoralized to leave his tent for days since then. The Sergeant Major enjoyed that short lived phase more than he thought was healthy, even to his own standards.

As if sensing his wayward thoughts, Giroro mumbled something and tried to shift in bed, but due to having weights on either sides of his body, his brows knit the slightest bit and he turned his head the other way, thus resting his chin against Kururu's forehead who froze, never daring to move in fear of the red devil waking up at the slightest flinch. Feeling the hot breath against his scalp, everything settled for a few more seconds, before much to Kururu's utter embarrassment and surprise, the Corporal pulled him closer by using the arm Kururu had been resting on and nuzzled his forehead. Kururu felt his heartbeats jump in speed at the unexpected sensation of that hand pressed against the back of his head.

Even more mind numbing seconds ticked by and Giroro did not wake up, but his nuzzling halted and he drifted back into dreamland, thus Kururu deemed it safe to attempt to move again. A single droplet of sweat rolled down Kururu's forehead in apprehension. His heart wild and frantic hammered against his chest, while surprised excitement shook his very being. He had to keep himself together, despite the overwhelming need to jump and snog the sleeping Keronian as if there was no tomorrow.

Kururu slid his hand across the warm chest to slip under the belt, then let it settle there and did not move another muscle. Giroro's arm that he used as a pillow twitched over the side of his head, before it slumped down a moment later. Kururu almost felt his heart burst out of his chest when the Corporal's hand moved again. It had tilted down away from his headphone and landed warm and tender over his shoulder. To make things worse, the sleeping man's lips brushed over Kururu's temple as the softest whisper of Natsumi's name reached his ears. The Sergeant Major's lips twitched, a vein bulged just a little over his cheek, and another heavy-laden droplet of sweat rolled down his face.

Goes to show that there was only one person holding the keys to Giroro's heart, and she was a daft child who had no idea what kind of hold she possessed over the dumbfounded warrior. Kururu guessed it could have been worse. If Natsumi acknowledged Giroro's feelings then he wouldn't have anything to keep him amused. Leaving things the way they are allowed him a form of entertainment, it was for the best that things stayed this way.

Of course, when Giroro's hand slacked again and slid down the yellow arm, Kururu nearly screeched like a woman as it landed on his hip, slid over his rear and then hit the floor once more, leaving the Sergeant Major feeling his heart leap into his throat as if it was about to burst out from shock. Giroro's sleepy whispers turned into murmuring, followed by another loving nuzzle. Giroro was oblivious to Kururu's excited trembling.

Eyes squeezed tight to stay contained, much to Kururu's surprise, he felt Giroro kiss his forehead… or was his mind playing tricks on him?

When did the tent get so damn warm for that matter? He hoped it won't get any warmer or else it'll become damp, and dampness is a one way ticket into a Nyororo's stomach.

When Kururu attempted to avoid the hot breath fogging his glasses, Giroro's fingers twitched near his rear thus earning another surprised squeak. Kururu was not sure how to react since the unintentional intimate actions were not only driving him nuts, but also caught the cat's irritated attention. Golden precise eyes zeroed onto the flustered Major and a low hiss emit from Ms. Fluffbottom, her ears folded back in a sign of possessiveness.

When Giroro mumbled and shifted his other hand it landed on her tail, she was surprised and stopped her glowering to glance at the red hand on top of her appendage. Seeing the red soldier was not doing anything, neither was the yellow one from what she could tell, she calmed down and her ears swerved as the sound of rain began to dwindle, the coming end to the storm.

Kururu pretended to be asleep, his heart throbbed in a violent beat against his aching ribs, and his face warmer than he could ever remember it being. If there was a mirror, he'd swear his face must have turned orange by now. It took a few more minutes of prolonged, agonizing silence, save for the loud raining outside, when he had the nerve to shift his weight just a bit and glance at the hand resting behind him.

He battled the unsure feelings swirling in his mind at how to feel regarding the whole situation. He was shocked into a standstill, thrown into a confusing whirlpool, and was feeling excited and happy to be close to the red soldier in a strange, indescribable manner.

He could not explain all these mixed up feelings which confused him even further. He loved messing with the Corporal, because Giroro was always so much fun to play with. Their relationship was the closest to a cat and dog after all. He did not harbor any romantic feelings, did he? Was he in denial? He sure hoped not, or else his love for curry will suffer the consequences.

Confused at his own reaction and indecisive thoughts, Kururu tried to calm his mind. His eyes closed behind fogged glasses and willed himself to try and sleep. He needed his rest and he knew once come morning they'd all end up worked like pack-mules.

Listening to the pouring rain as the storm kicked up a notch again, it didn't take long for Kururu to drift into a light and restful sleep. The familiarity of his company, warmth against his skin and the rhythmic heartbeats served as an unusual lullaby. Soon, the sound of rain faded from his ears and was replaced by sweet oblivion. It was the most blissful slumber he had had in ages.

**. .**

Hinata Natsumi was not keen on romantic relationships between invading alien frogs from outer space, but she sure as hell found it a new aspect to reflect on.

When she had woken up early in the morning, the thunderstorm had turned into a heavy drizzle, draping the city under a cold and cloudy blanket of clouds for miles. It was the calm after the storm, but it made the house and the general residential area terribly cold.

And where there was cold then there would usually be a campfire, often accompanied with the delicious scent of roasting sweet potatoes, but her backyard was soaked with no campfire in sight which was new. She knew Giroro was a very early bird, frog, or whatever, who preferred to spend good long hours in front of a burning fire to keep him warm while outside. Natsumi noted that whenever Giroro got cold he'd get crankier and more on edge than usual, which made things more troublesome whenever the stupid frog goofed up.

She had dressed in heavy clothes to ward off the chill of morning, and then headed to the tent to see what was keeping Giroro in so late in the morning. Seeing the contraptions decorating the tent, however, she had forgotten Kururu's lab had been ruined by the flood, then remembered he had claimed it as his new station, but she did not know he was going to spend the night there as well. She had assumed he had another place to turn in for the night and thus was torn between mortified and amused at what she saw inside.

To see Giroro and Kururu cuddled up and hugging, with the cat blanketing Giroro for that matter almost made her squeal. She would hate to admit they looked as absurdly adorable as babies in a crib. It was just too cute for words.

Natsumi didn't even know Giroro swung that way, and a tiny part of her was a little sad over it, but since she and Giroro were just friends then she really shouldn't feel so bad about it. If he felt for Kururu and actually went that way, then hey, more power for him, right? It would explain why Kururu kept making passes at him all the time. Giroro belonged with someone of his own kind after all, even if they were the same gender. She would need to be an understanding friend regarding those things, even if he won't come out of the closet and admit it. She knew him well enough that he would deny ever having feelings for another guy, especially not Kururu.

Even if Kururu was a creep, who was to say Giroro didn't see more to the Major than his bad habits? This was a very unhealthy relationship, but who was she to judge?

Natsumi watched the two sleep with a widening smile. The tent was warm inside and besides the softest pitter-patter of rain dripping from the upper floor onto the fabric, their surroundings were peaceful and quiet. It was a minute later that Ms. Fluffbottom stirred, yawned and stretched her limbs like the cat she was. She shook herself awake then glanced with lazy eyes at the entrance, and Natsumi smiled at her in greeting. Next, Natsumi moved away from the entrance when the cat needed to go outside.

After the cat had left, Natsumi looked back in. Now that the cat had left Giroro felt the chill of her absence. His face scrunched in discomfort, he mumbled and rolled over pulling the blanket and draping his arm over Kururu's sleeping form. Natsumi suppressed a giggle and her face warmed in humor at how the two snuggled, and then decided to let them be.

Natsumi got up with a bright smile and went back into the house, humming a tune and musing about what she saw. With such cold weather it was likely they won't be up yet, which would give her time to make breakfast.

That morning was the most peaceful the Hinata family had experienced in a very long time.

What had happened after Giroro woke up, however, is a story for another day.

o

** END **


End file.
